1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to media recording elements of the type having a hard drive or other mechanically operational element for storing media for subsequent playback to a media output device, such as but not limited to digital video recorders (DVRs).
2. Background Art
The use of various media recording element is becoming more and more prevalent. The media recording elements typically include a hard drive or other mechanically operational element having a rotating disc drive, head, reader, etc. for recording incoming content for subsequent playback. The content may be stored on hard drive for various lengths of time. One length of time may correspond with buffering operations.
Buffering operations generally correspond with a brief period of time where incoming content is written to and immediately thereafter read for output to a media output device. The buffering allows the content to be viewed in a live setting while also allowing a viewer to instigate so called DVR related operations on the buffered content, i.e. operations associated with but not limited to pausing, rewinding, recording, and slow playing the content.
The hard drive is constantly operational during the buffering phase in order to support the DVR related operations. This can be problematic in so far as the relatively constant operation of the hard drive may degrade its performance and lifetime and/or in so far as the constant operation negatively influences energy conservation.